Laser cooling of two-level atoms

Yu. V. Rozhdestvenskiǐ, N. N. Yakobson

Hidekazu Hachisu

Yuqing Zhang, Lei Tan, Zhu Zhong-Hua +1 more

Using the algebraic dynamical method, this paper investigates the laser cooling of a moving two-level atom coupled to a cavity field. Analytical solutions of optical forces and the cooling temperatures are obtained. Considering Rb atoms as an example, it finds that the numerical results are relevant to the recent experimental laser cooling investigations.

William D. Phillips, John V. Prodan, Harold J. Metcalf

Robert Graham, Daniel F. Walls, Weiping Zhang

In this paper, the use of squeezed light in laser cooling is investigated. We find that in a traveling-wave laser field, a two-level atom in a squeezed vacuum cannot be cooled to a lower temperature than in normal vacuum. For a two-level atom in a standing-wave laser field, if it is tuned from the resonant region, the conclusion is the same as in the traveling-wave case. However, near the resonant region, the atom in a standing-wave field can achieve a lower temperature than Doppler limit.

Philip H. Jones, Onofrio M. Maragò, Giovanni Volpe